The Rules Don’t Change

Luke 16:13-18

Jesus had just finished the parable of the dishonest steward, and how it looked like a very wise move to the world. How we react in small matters indicates ones character, and what one will do in other matters. He finished up by stating that decision must be made because it is impossible to live with divided loyalties.

“No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.” (Luke 16:13-14)

A lady in our church had often blamed her unsaved husband for her going to native ceremonies instead of church. Several months after her husband died, after a service she admitted that she’d still been using the excuse, but that since he was dead, it couldn’t be him any longer. The Pharisees had used the Roman occupation as an excuse for ignoring the moral standards set by the law. After all, it wasn’t practical to do all those things under Roman law. It was silly to demand keeping them.

“And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.” (Luke 16;15-17)

Jesus states that the Law was in effect until John the Baptist came. God would judge on the basis of the heart attitude rather than sheer outward behavior. Since John’s time, when he preached repentance, the standard was in fact higher.

In Matthew 5:17- 19 he stated, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus stated that all the law could be summed up in two laws in Matthew 22:35-40. “Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

In reality, the individual Law requirements deal with showing love in specific cases. In some situations, the specific laws actually work against the intention, which is why God made specific exceptions for emergency situations for example. Love is the overriding intent and as such is actually more demanding than the mechanical keeping of the specifics of the Old Testament Law. God’s standard is never to be repealed as long as the earth remains.

Under the Old Testament, divorce was permitted due to the hardness of people’s hearts. The Pharisees and lawyers spent considerable time discussing what were valid grounds, several times raising the issue with Christ. Jesus points out that in fact, the law’s requirement was actually lower than God’s standard. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record the same statement.

“Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.” (Luke 16:18)

Literally divorce does not free one to remarry. While the Jewish standard was more strict than that of the Romans, it still didn’t meet God’s standard. Malachi 2:14-16 addresses the problem of divorce among the Jews. Malachi 2:16 quotes God’s statement. “For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away:…” This is an area that is just as relevant today as it was to the Pharisees. Divorce is one of the few things God says he hates. It is troubling that it is so common among people who claim to love God.

A genuine love for God will result in a desire to do what he wants. A real love for others will avoid doing anything to hurt them. We ought to follow God’s standard, not human ideas.